The expression “adjustable element” in the present case is to be understood in broad terms. It comprises for example a tailgate, a rear cover, an engine hood, a side door, a loading compartment flap, a lifting roof or the like of a motor vehicle. The application region of the motorized adjustment of a tailgate of a motor vehicle is the main focus in the text which follows. This must not be understood to be limiting.
Spindle drives have proven themselves in recent years in the context of the motorized actuation of tailgates. The main focus in the present case is a high degree of compactness and a low weight.
The known spindle drive (DE 20 2005 000 559 U1), on which the invention is based, has in the conventional manner two drive portions of which one drive portion is assigned a spindle and the other drive portion is assigned a spindle nut meshing with the spindle.
The two drive portions are in each case assigned a connection for channeling out the linear drive movements. In order not to subject the connections to a rotation about the geometric spindle axis, the two drive portions are safeguarded against twisting with respect to one another.
In the case of the known spindle drive, the spindle nut is connected via a spindle nut tube to the spindle nut-side connection. An outer housing tube extends in the direction of the spindle-side connection from the spindle nut-side connection. Starting from the spindle-side connection, a housing tube in turn extends in the direction of the spindle nut-side connection in such a way that the spindle-side housing tube runs in the spindle nut-side housing tube.
In the case of the known spindle drive, the antitwist safeguard is integrated into the housing consisting of the two housing tubes. Specifically, the two housing tubes are coupled to one another in a torque-transmitting manner to provide antitwist safeguarding. This is achieved for example by a tongue and groove coupling.
A disadvantage with the known spindle drive is the fact that a weight-reducing design of the housing is possible only within narrow limits because of the loading associated with the antitwist safeguard.